Alcohol Misuse

Alcohol and drug misuse fuels most of the violent and anti-social behaviour that takes place in the town centre. Having too much to drink can lead to a number of offences, including assault, criminal damage, drink driving and, before long, a criminal record.

In fact, it’s estimated that 40% of crime involves the influence of alcohol. Almost 80% of assaults, 88% of criminal damage and 40% of domestic violence are due to excessive drinking.

Know your limit

For some, there’s no ‘off switch’ when it comes to alcohol. It’s easy to drink too much too quickly and before you know it you’re waking up the following day unable to remember how you got there or what you did last night. That’s the scary part!

To stop that happening, know your limit and stick to it. It’s recommended that men should not regularly drink more than three to four units of alcohol a day and women no more than two to three.

You need to be aged 18 or over to buy and drink alcohol legally in licensed premises in Britain, but 1000 teenagers under the age of 15 are still admitted to hospital every year with alcohol poisoning. Keep you and your children safe by being aware of the law around alcohol:

Aged five and under: It’s illegal to give an alcoholic drink to a child under the age of five except in certain circumstances such as under medical supervision.

Aged under 16: Children under 16 that are not accompanied by someone aged 18 or older are not allowed on licensed premises when they are being used for the supply of alcohol for consumption on the premises. The licensed part of a premises is usually the bar area but this can vary.

Aged 16 or 17: Individuals aged 16 or 17 may consume (not purchase) beer, wine or cider with a table meal on the relevant premises provided that they are accompanied by someone over the aged of 18 years.

If you’re 18 or under and live in Essex and if you’re affected by drug or alcohol use – your own or someone else’s – contact Essex Young People’s Drug and Alcohol Service. http://www.eypdas.org.uk/ or Text CHOICES to 80800

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Slavery is not merely a historical relic. According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) more than 40 million people worldwide are victims of modern slavery. Although modern slavery is not defined in law, it is used as an umbrella term covering practices such as forced labour, debt bondage, forced marriage, and human trafficking. Essentially, it refers to situations of exploitation that a person cannot refuse or leave because of threats, violence, coercion, deception, and/or abuse of power.

In addition, more than 150 million children are subject to child labour, accounting for almost one in ten children around the world.

Facts and figures: An estimated 40.3 million people are in modern slavery, including 24.9 in forced labour and 15.4 million in forced marriage. There are 5.4 victims of modern slavery for every 1,000 people in the world. 1 in 4 victims of modern slavery are children. Out of the 24.9 million people trapped in forced labour, 16 million people are exploited in the private sector such as domestic work, construction or agriculture; 4.8 million people in forced sexual exploitation, and 4 million people in forced labour imposed by state authorities. Women and girls are disproportionately affected by forced labour, accounting for 99% of victims in the commercial sex industry, and 58% in other sectors. ILO has adopted a new legally binding Protocol designed to strengthen global efforts to eliminate forced labour, which entered into force in November 2016.

The 50 for Freedom campaign aims to persuade at least 50 countries to ratify the Forced Labour Protocol by 2018.